A continued push for the playoffs and fun for the fans: the upcoming weekend for the Atlanta Gladiators

In getting closer to the end of the 2025-26 ECHL regular season, the Atlanta Gladiators are hitting their stride in their push for the playoffs.

Leading into their next game this Thursday, April 2nd (a 7:05pm EST puck drop on the road at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena) against one of their ECHL South Division rivals, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (56 total points/6th place in the ECHL South), the Glads have a 1 point edge for 2nd place in the division (87 total points) over the South Carolina Stingrays (3rd place/86 total points). In having a game in hand over the team chasing them (Atlanta has 8 games left in their season compared to 7 for South Carolina), they have a sound chance of earning home-ice advantage for the 1st round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs (16 teams make the playoffs as the top 4 in each division play in the postseason - the top 2 teams in each division have home-ice advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs).

The team has won 5 in a row and 7 of their last 10 during their late season run. One of the keys to their success is the effort of ECHL All-Star forward Jack O'Brien. Named as the ECHL Player of the Week (March 23-29), he scored 5 goals and added an assist (6 points) over the team's 3 game stretch. Overall, his 48 points (27 goals/21 assists and a +9 rating) along with team leading scorers Alex Young (26 goals/32 assists/58 points/+10 rating) and Chad Nychuk (8 goals/44 assists/52 points/+16 rating) have the team scoring just under 3 goals per game (2.95 goals per game).

The rise of their offense aligned with their 5th rated scoring defense (allowing 2.44 goals per game) result in the team remaining close to the top of the division for virtually the entire season. The solid goaltending of ECHL All-Star T.J. Semptimphelter (20-9-1-1/1 shutout/2.12 goals allowed per game/.923 save percentage) and Ethan Haider (22-10-1-0/1 shutout/2.40 goals allowed per game/.923 save percentage) along with a dedicated team effort on defense has led the way, and the recent signing of goaltender Coby Muise adds depth for the team's final stretch run.

The Glads have an active end of the week with another 3-and-3 (3 games over 3 consecutive days covering April 2-4, 2026), but the last two are at home. Their April 3rd (7:10pm EST puck drop at the Gas South District) game features a rematch against Greenville for their Golf Night themed game (which provides a series of golf-themed contests and more for fans in attendance). They close out the weekend on April 4th (7:10pm EST puck drop at the Gas South District); they'll host another another ECHL South Division foe, the Savannah Ghost Pirates (who currently are in 4th place and holding the division's final playoff spot with 66 points) as part of the Hockey is for Everyone themed game (as a way to celebrate inclusion, diversity, and community through the game of hockey).

A late week mix which includes facing division rivals and engaging theme nights adds to the energy of this time of the year as the Glads continue with their playoff push. They'll look to maintain their solid play and keep that paramount at yet another key time of the season.

Notes: To learn more about the upcoming promotional games, readers are encouraged to visit the team's website (click HERE). You may watch our 2025-26 season playlist (click HERE) for in-game snapshots and related interviews.